Running Your Theater: Will Call Tickets

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Will Call Tickets

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Running Your Theater
Forum Discription: General questions about how to make it work
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3002
Printed Date: 10/30/25 at 9:22pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Will Call Tickets

Posted By: laurielu
Subject: Will Call Tickets
Date Posted: 2/28/08 at 2:32am

I have read a lot of posts in other threads that have mentioned will calls and reserved, or 'held' tickets.

Our company is having a tiff about will calls. Currently, I run the box office and my 'policy' has been to accept reservations for tickets over the phone without payment (payment will be made when the tickets are picked up, either at a ticket agency or at the door). I suggest that the tickets be picked up at least 10 minutes before the play starts. If the unpaid, reserved tickets are not picked up and paid for, I sell them to walk-ins. For me, this is a trust issue - that is, I trust the person who made the reservation will purchase and use the ticket. And yes, I have been stuck with no-shows.

Other members of our company feel this is a fiscally irresponsible method and that a 'sold out' performance may not be really sold out as I'm holding unpaid will calls. Their contention is that the seat may not be used and we're losing money by not actually selling the ticket beforehand.

It appears that a lot of theater companies accept reservations and hold tickets for purchase until shortly before curtain. What I'm looking for is some re-inforcement from others in this position that my 'policy' is workable and realistic.

I am just not able to say to a potential audience member "I can't hold a ticket without payment. So take your chances on getting a ticket when you have the money." Some folks just don't have the ready cash to purchase a ticket right now, but want to see the show. We oftentimes do sell out a few days before a performance and I think it would be unfortunate to discriminate against folks who don't have the cash on hand or don't have a credit card or are from outside our immediate area and can't pick up their ticket until the night of the performance.

Thoughts, please!

Laurielu in the PNW, USA

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Nothing changes if nothing changes.

Replies:

Posted By: John Luzaich
Date Posted: 2/28/08 at 10:27am

We get credit card information for any reservation. (yes, there are a few people that do not have one, then we take the reservation and almost all of those do show up). If they are no shows, we go ahead and charge the card. But, we explain to the customer we can put a "Hold Only" on the card and the customer can pay by cash or check when they come to the show and we'll rip up the creit card info slip in front of them. If the customer is a no show, we charge the card. If the customer calls prior to the show to let us know they can't make it, we'll rechedule them into a different performance and leave it as a "hold only". If they are simply a no show, we charge the card. If anyone complains, we explain they didn't notify us in advance so that we could have sold that ticket to another customer, otherwise the theatre is out money. We really have very few problems in that area. And, in sevral cases, if it's a great customer, long time theatre goer that we know, we'll not chrage the card or get them into a different show. We tell that customer "Well, we don't normally do this, but just for you we'll do this". That customer feels like they're treated special and you have a life long theatre supporter that probably won't miss a show again (at least not without calling you first).

Oh, and we have 500 seats and have very few problems.

John

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John
cfct@cfu.net
http://www.osterregent.org
http://www.facebook.com/osterregent

Posted By: 75director
Date Posted: 2/28/08 at 11:45am

Several years ago we had a production that was sold out and we were turning people away at the door. But when curtain came around we were often saddled with unclaimed tickets that had not been paid for. We knew we could have sold everyone of the no-shows to people who had either called or stopped in the day of the show looking for tickets. We did the math and figured out we lost $1,000 due to the no-shows.

After that show we adopted a new policy which requires all telephone reservations to paid for with a credit card at the time of purchase, or for those who don't want to use a card they must either mail us a check or come to the box office to pay for the ticket within two business days, or their tickets are put back on sale.

We've had no complaints. And actually it speeds up the line at the box office because most people who are picking up tickets have already paid for them so they're not slowing the line down paying that day.

Posted By: John Luzaich
Date Posted: 2/28/08 at 12:04pm

Jamie, yes, I forgot to mention in my last reply that we tell people to go ahead a send us a check in advance. Many of them do and they are paid in advance. We've had very, very few bad checks, so it's not as much of a problem in a smaller market area like ours in the midwest. We have a 500 seat theatre in a community of 35,000 people.

John

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John
cfct@cfu.net
http://www.osterregent.org
http://www.facebook.com/osterregent

Posted By: ticketjunior
Date Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:11pm

I always recommend having the people immediately pay for their tickets. If they really want to see the show they will pay when they call. The most successful theater groups and other business I work with have all quit holding tickets on the promise that the person will show up and pay. I'm sure your patrons have the best of intentions to show up, buy the tickets and watch the show but without any penalties of not showing and not buying its to easy for something to happen to prevent them from coming.

If you feel bad about no longer taking ticket reservations create a policy that says something like. If you don't show up we'll be more than happy to exchange your tickets for another performance or our next show.

You're running a business and businesses need money.

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-James P. Walters
Phone: 404-272-4778
http://www.ticketjunior.com - www.ticketjunior.com

"We're the little guy in the ticketing business."

Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 3/30/08 at 11:40am

I work in a box office at our community theater and we will no hold tickets without payment. Our producing director states that in 'real theater' (he's retired from Boardway) you pay when you order the ticket. You can show up and purchase a ticket at the window, but all will calls have to be prepaid. That way we know how many tickets are actually sold be performance. For the first time in a long time, we are showing real growth, so maybe he's got a point.

Charlie

Posted By: Theatrestation
Date Posted: 3/30/08 at 12:33pm

Do you sell out every or most shows?

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http://www.castbuilding.com
http://www.theatrestation.com

Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 3/30/08 at 3:58pm

Originally posted by Theatrestation

Do you sell out every or most shows?

Are you asking me or the OP? For musicals, yes, we pretty much sell out of our musicals, not always with our drama or comedies - we run 16 performances and our highest numbers are usually Thurday night and Sunday afternoons. Our worse shows are traditionally on Saturday nights and we occasionally will a two-for-one night just to get butts in the seats.

Charlie

Posted By: dramafreak21
Date Posted: 3/31/08 at 2:21pm

our community is a nice stingy dutch community (and i am dutch myself, so i'm not picking on the dutch!), so we are offering a $2 discount off their entire order (not per ticket) if they send us a check in advance to encourage prepayment. if they do not pay upfront, they do not get the discount (and yes, $2 makes a difference to some!). all groups of 10 or more have to pay upfront however. as we are a new company, we do not have online ticket ordering or a credit card machine set up yet, so we thought this would be the best way to handle the situation. the CT i used to perform with did hold tickets on reserve without payment for awhile, but got sick of being stiffed so they are all prepaid now.